Nairobi: Tetu MP, Geoffrey Wandeto has urged President Dr. William Ruto to reveal the names of lawmakers engaged in corruption for the sake of public interest. The lawmaker emphasized that the statement made by the Head of State linking MPs to soliciting bribes is painting Parliament in a bad light in the eyes of the public; hence, such allegations should be investigated as a matter of urgency.
According to Kenya News Agency, Wandeto asserted that those found culpable in the scandal should not only be named but also be charged before a court of law to avoid tarnishing the reputation of the entire House. He expressed his stance during an appearance on Inooro TV breakfast show, stating, "I am not defending Parliament against allegations of corrupt tendencies but what I strongly object to is passing a blanket condemnation to an entire House. It could be true that some of our colleagues in the National Assembly could be steeped in graft but on the other hand, it is equally true that the majority of the legislators are men and women of integrity who wake up and go and do what they were elected to do by the voters."
Wandeto's remarks come in the wake of Dr. Ruto's accusations on Monday where he claimed that Parliament had turned into a soko-huru (open-air market) where money was exchanging hands before crucial bills could be passed. During a joint Kenya Kwanza - ODM Parliamentary Group meeting at the KCB Leadership Centre in Karen on Monday, Dr. Ruto alleged that lawmakers had literally transformed the House Business Committees into money-minting premises with some MPs receiving up to Sh10 million to delay the passage of bills.
He further accused the Senate of having 'saved' an unnamed Governor from the jaws of impeachment after the latter agreed to part with Sh150 million. The President questioned, "Do you, for example, know that a few members of your committee collected Sh10 million so that you don't pass that law on anti-money laundering?" He added, "By the position I hold, I am a consumer of raw intelligence; I know what is going on. Where does somebody find Sh150 million? That is money that belongs to the county."
Addressing the year's Devolution Conference in Homa Bay, the President accused members of parliament of abetting corruption by demanding bribes from Cabinet Secretaries and County bosses. When asked whether he had witnessed money exchanging hands in Parliament or whether he had been a partaker of the cause, Wandeto maintained he had never come across such an incident. He stated categorically that his main task is to serve his constituency and anything else to the contrary has never formed part of his work.
Wandeto has also recommended a review of the criminal justice system in the country, saying the current system is incapable of addressing the rampant sleaze in public institutions. He argues that Kenyans will never shy away from engaging in graft as long as they are confident of buying back their freedom with the same loot they have stolen. The legislator pointed out that the failure to address corruption and impunity in the county is not due to a shortage of stringent legal framework but due to the absence of goodwill to implement such existing laws.
He remarked, "If we are ever going to slay this dragon of corruption, we must be deliberate about it. Corruption must never be viewed as a shortcut to easy wealth. It must become an unenviable and painful endeavor that anyone should shun like leprosy. But as long as one can loot public coffers and suffer no loss, eradicating this vice will remain elusive for ages."